The invention relates to a busbar connection system for mating with a power distribution system and a power distribution system comprising such a busbar connection system.
Busbar connection systems are commonly used with electrical power distribution systems in order to distribute electrical power from a power source to a number of electrical devices each comprising one busbar connection system. The power distribution system includes a busbar for connecting busbar connection systems of each electrical device. The power distribution systems may be provided in a rack shaped arrangement.
The power distribution systems may also be arranged in a plurality of sub-racks, wherein each sub-rack includes a separate busbar (for instance with a length of two meters or more) for connecting busbar connection systems of each electrical device. In any case, the electrical devices are configured to receive the distributed electrical power from the power source via the busbar connection systems.
Such an electrical power distribution system usually comprises at least two conductors which are spaced apart from each other in a predetermined distance in order to be connected to the number of electrical devices. Alternatively, in case of a subdivided electrical power distribution system, each sub-rack usually comprises at least two conductors which are spaced apart from each other in a predetermined distance in order to be connected to the number of electrical devices. The at least two conductors form the busbar of the power distribution system.
The conductors of the busbar are typically realized as horizontal strip conductors spaced apart in a predetermined distance, such as 19-25 mm. Exemplarily, the horizontal strip conductors of the busbar may have a length of approximately 400 mm. The length of 400 mm of the horizontal strip conductors of the busbar is preferential since it enables its application in an sub-rack with a width 19 inch or 482.6 mm. In other words, the length of the horizontal strip conductors of the busbar is determined by the width of the case of the electrical power distribution system, e.g. by the width of the sub-rack.
Specifically, in case of the subdivided electrical power distribution system described above, the plurality of sub-racks may additionally be connected via vertical strip conductors to the power source. In more detail, vertically arranged main power conductors distribute the electrical power from the power source to the plurality of sub-racks in order to supply the electrical devices provided therein.
Each of the electrical devices comprises at least two pluggable connectors in order to respectively connect to one of the conductors. The pluggable connectors of every electrical device are vertically spaced apart from each other in the predetermined distance of the two conductors of the electrical power distribution system.
An exemplary busbar connection system is described in EP 2 048 746 A1. The busbar connection system comprises at least two pluggable connectors spaced apart from each other in order to respectively accommodate at least one of at least two of the conductors which are spaced apart from each other in a certain distance. Each of the connectors comprises at least one contact member for contacting the respective conductor and at least one urging member configured to clasp the contact member for providing contact force between the contact member and the conductor. The contact member and the urging member of at least one of the connectors are flexible in a direction transverse to a mating direction of the conductors to permit compensating for a deviation of the distance between the conductors from a predetermined distance.
According to recent developments, efficiency of the power distribution system can be improved by enabling power distribution control. In more detail, depending on the demand for power of the connected electrical devices, an improved power distribution system may control the power supply; namely, it may increase or reduce the amount of power to be provided. For this purpose, the improved power distribution system is required, for instance, to determine the number of connected electrical devices in order to estimate the demand for power to be supplied.